Return of stolen art creates dramatic moment in Montco court

This framed image of renowned composer Victor Herbert, valued at $80,000, once stolen and missing, was returned to its owner by Montgomery County authorities on Friday, July 12, 2013. Photo by Carl Hessler Jr./The Mercury

NORRISTOWN — As defense lawyer Michael John walked to a Montgomery County courtroom he created a buzz, all eyes focused on what he carried at his side — an “irreplaceable,” “priceless” work of art about to be returned to its collector.

John, the lawyer representing former Main Line housekeeper turned art thief Andrea Lawton, helped facilitate the return on Friday of a stolen, framed artistic image of renowned composer and conductor Victor August Herbert, with an estimated value of $80,000, to its owner, George D’Angelo, of Bryn Mawr.

“I’m glad it’s back. It’s an important piece that needed to be returned and I’m glad that I was able to arrange its return to Mr. D’Angelo,” said John, who couldn’t recall ever being involved in a more dramatic courtroom moment. “This is a very unique case.”

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The recovery of the stolen art spared Lawton any additional prison time, as prosecutors had agreed with the defense to recommend a 10-year probationary term for Lawton if the precious art was returned to its rightful owner. Lawton already is serving six years in federal prison on a charge of interstate transportation of stolen property in connection with the theft.

“To have the victims in this case be able to recover this priceless piece was very rewarding,” said First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, who prosecuted Lawton and who was present when the art was dramatically returned to D’Angelo before Lawton’s sentencing hearing on Friday.

“The victims were ecstatic. Mr. D’Angelo did not know coming in here that he was going to get the piece back,” said Steele, explaining authorities didn’t want to get the elderly man’s hopes up about the recovery just in case the piece came back damaged like another piece that Lawton stole from him.

But after authorities examined the framed photograph, which also includes the conductor’s baton and writings, and determined it was intact, they showed it to D’Angelo and his son, both of whom smiled and appeared delighted by the return.

“I think it’s a great end to a case that had a number of different developments. Seeing the response and the reaction on Mr. D’Angelo’s face as a result of being shown the piece that he wasn’t expecting to see was truly a very, very happy time and I know that he is very pleased to be restored in that sense,” said county Special Assistant District Attorney Devon Turner, who assisted Steele, adding Lawton had stolen a piece of history.

“I can say that he was absolutely ecstatic and overwhelmed by getting the piece back,” added Steele. “The victim took it with him (Friday) so it will go back to his home with him at this point.”

The theft by Lawton drew national and even international attention among art aficionados and those familiar with Herbert’s music.

“Not a clue,” John said candidly when asked if he knew anything about the composer before he took on Lawton’s defense case. “I don’t think many people do and I think that’s one of the reasons it was so important to get it back.”

Lawton, 47, of Philadelphia, also stole a rare 18th century bust sculpture of Benjamin Franklin, created by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon, from D’Angelo’s Main Line home. The bust, which has an estimated value of about $3 million, is currently at a New York museum undergoing restoration after it was damaged, cracked at the breastplate, during the theft. It should be returned to the D’Angelo family sometime “in the very near future,” Steele said.

“Everybody knows who Ben Franklin is but when I took on this case I didn’t know who Victor Herbert was, and most people don’t,” John said. “But Victor Herbert was a very famous composer and musician back in the late 19th century, early 20th century, and as I researched him, he was pretty much like the Jay-Z of today. He was a very popular musician.”

John said Herbert, who was born in Ireland and raised in Germany before moving to the U.S., was one of the founding members of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), which works to protect musicians’ rights.

“Actually, he took a case to the United States Supreme Court and ultimately won, that he would get paid for music played, that he composed,” said John, referring to a precedent-setting lawsuit that ultimately allowed composers to charge fees for public performances of their work. “He’s the reason musicians get paid today for what they do, composers. So he’s a significant member of the entertainment business but he’s also a significant member of the legal history of this country.”

Steele and Turner characterized the Herbert art as a “significant piece of history.”

“The significance of the piece was not only the photograph of him but his conductor’s baton and around the sides of the picture were notes from each of his great compositions that he had put on there,” said Steele, describing the art piece. “So in terms of an item that is absolutely irreplaceable that’s what the significance of this is.”

According to John and Steele, under a “no questions asked” agreement between Lawton and prosecutors, authorities accepted the art and returned the work to D’Angelo. Steele said D’Angelo and his family supported the sentencing agreement that ended with Lawton sentenced to 10 years’ probation on the county charges.

Authorities would not comment about the role Lawton played in the recovery of the art or about the circumstances that led to its recovery or who was involved in the recovery.

“I can’t answer any of those questions. I wish I could give you more details but by agreement with Mr. Steele there won’t be any discussion on that,” said John, who was assisted in the case by legal intern John Mariotz, a second-year student at Michigan State University School of Law.

Lower Merion detectives said Lawton worked for a cleaning service that had been hired to clean D’Angelo’s home last summer. After being fired from the job on Aug. 21, Lawton returned to the home on Aug. 24 and took the Franklin bust and framed Herbert photo. She was seen leaving the home as her former co-workers arrived to clean the house. Authorities believe Lawton had help during the theft but Lawton apparently has not identified her accomplice.

Those involved in the investigation were pleased with the outcome.

“It was a very unique case and it was very rare to be in court on a case like this where at the end of the day everyone seems to be happy with the result,” John said.